New Illinois Laws Cover Everything From Fins to Facebook

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) – Around 150 new Illinois laws take effect on Jan. 1, ranging from bans on the possession of shark fins to prohibitions on employers asking job applicants for their social-media passwords.

Another new law increases the fees on Illinois license plates to help fund overdue state-park repairs. Basic license-plate fees will increase $2, to $101 annually. That should raise as much as $20 million for state parks.

Shark fins are used to make a pricey soup. They aren’t harvested in landlocked Illinois, but Chicago has a thriving market. Environmentalists say harvesting the fins is inhumane and threatens the world’s shark population.

Among other new laws is one that lets authorities use wiretaps during a felony drug investigation if approved by a state’s attorney instead of a judge.